Today on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. Now, I want you to calculate the cost of being my follower. That takes time.
You see, I want you to calculate the cost. This isn't just a matter that you get to wear a cross around your neck or you put a bumper sticker on your car. Now, if you want to be my follower, you see, if you want to be my follower, I'm the word of your life.
You have to understand that. You see, and I'm going to take you very seriously as my follower. And the idea of it is your commitment and your choices you make every day are going to be choices that are going to be completely influenced by me.
You better calculate that before you just raise your hand and say, yeah, that's what I want to do. Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now as once again he shows us how God's word meets our world. If you've got danger in your life, tragedy in your life, trials in your life, every one of those come with choices. You're facing it. Now, what do you do?
The choice is yours. He says, consider all joy, my brother, when you encounter various trials. He said, because you have to understand what's really going on, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, that endurance will have its perfect result, that you'll be perfect and complete and lacking in nothing. In other words, this whole thing's going to help you grow up spiritually, so you should be joyful. God is going to use this trial, this tragedy, this difficulty, and help you grow.
But when we see that, we say, that's nice, but I don't feel that, and I still don't know what to do. So what's he say? Verse 5, but if any of you lacks wisdom. You see, that's what I need. If I'm going to make a choice, I need to have wisdom.
That's what I need. I need wisdom. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, it'll be given to him.
What? Yeah, he says, God will supply the wisdom you need to make right choices. That's an amazing promise in the word of God. God will supply the wisdom to you to make right choices in your life. It says so right there.
I want to show you how important that is. Go with me now back to Proverbs chapter 8. Proverbs chapter 8. And in Proverbs chapter 8, Solomon is writing and he personifies wisdom. What's interesting is in scripture, wisdom is a woman. Now, that might be, guys, because it fits women better than men. Women might be wiser. It's a woman.
No doubt about it. When the personification, you can tell by all the pronouns. And there's some really wonderful things that is said here. In Proverbs eight does not wisdom call. And understanding lift up her voice on the top of the heights beside the way where the paths meet.
She takes her stand. This is great imagery. You know what he's saying about wisdom? He said, wisdom's calling wisdom, calling out. And you know where wisdom is at the highest place in the city. You know where that is. That's the temple. They always put the most important building at the highest place. That's where wisdom says, I stand above it all.
I'm calling to you. And by the way, where all the crossroads occur. In other words, what does that mean to us? Wisdom is for real life.
Wisdom is for real life, real choices, the way it works. And then he says, besides the gates and at the opening of the city and at the entrance of the door, she cries out. And then in verse four and five, it says this to you.
Oh, man, I call and my voice is to the sons of men. Oh, naive ones understand prudence. Oh, fools understand wisdom.
You know why she calls out? Because so many of us lack it. We don't have wisdom. The Book of Proverbs says we're naive and we're fools. You see, and the problem is, if you're naive or you're a fool, I can guarantee you something. You will make one bad decision, one bad choice, go through one wrong door day after day after day. That's why wisdom calls you. Wisdom calls you and says, look, you don't have to live this way. I call out to you.
You don't have to do that. Look what he says how great wisdom is. He says in verse six. He says, listen, for I shall speak noble things and the opening of my lips will reveal right things and my mouth will utter truth. And wickedness is an abomination to my lips and all the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness.
There is nothing crooked or perverted in them. They are all straightforward to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge. Take my instruction and not silver and knowledge rather than the choices gold. For wisdom is better than jewels and all desirable things cannot compare to her. Nothing will give you a better life than wisdom.
Nothing else is close. Just in those verses, Solomon says that wisdom is noble and that wisdom is right and that wisdom is truthful and that wisdom is righteous and that wisdom has unparalleled value. And basically, God is saying, I'll give it to you and wisdom is calling out. Come, I want you to have it. And the only thing that could stop you. Is you look at Chapter nine of Proverbs in verse three.
Same idea. She has sent out her maidens. She calls from the top to the heights of the city. Whoever is naive, let him turn in here to him who lacks understanding. She says, come eat my food and drink of the wine that I have mixed. Forsake your folly and live and proceed in the way of understanding.
Wow. God wants us to choose well by applying wisdom to our choices. And God says, and I make wisdom available, I want you to have it so that you would have life indeed. Well, how many do I develop wisdom in my life?
Well, one thing I obviously need to know God and I need to know the word, but there's four things I think that can really help us develop wisdom in our life. The first is inferred in Galatians Chapter six in the New Testament. Galatians Chapter six.
Right at the end of the book. The setting for this verse is kind of interesting. Not because it follows seven and eight, but because it follows seven and eight. Notice that verse seven says of Galatians six. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked for whatever a man sows this he'll reap.
What does he mean? You make choices, you face the consequences of your choices. You can't mock God that way. You can't make terrible choices and then reap wonderful results.
It won't work like that, he said. He said, for the one who sows to his own flesh, he said, well, from his own flesh reap corruption. The one who sows into the spirit will, he said, in the spirit reap eternal life. It's up to you.
Think of that. He's inferring here the choice of Christ. You can choose Christ or not choose Christ. But you will face the consequences of your choice. And you will either have eternal life or you will have eternal separation from God. He said, it's just that clear.
God is not mocked. The choice is yours. And then he says to us who have made that first choice. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who are the household of faith. The first step in developing wisdom would be this, practice on small doors.
Before you're facing the gigantic decision of your life, the most important thing you'll ever decide, practice on small doors. Notice, it's inferred in this sense, so while we have opportunity, let's do good to people. Let's make choices to do good to people.
Why? That's wise. You see, it's wise to live. Didn't Jesus say, love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. So, if I live out that love, wouldn't that be wise?
You see, wouldn't that make sense? And all the small choices that I make every single day. The trouble is we don't often pray or seek wisdom with small choices.
We have a tendency, I'll take care of that, I'll wait for the big one. So the criteria of these small choices, first question comes out of this. Is it good for other people? If you're going to make a decision today, is that good for other people? I didn't say for you.
Most of the time, our decisions and choices on small matters are pretty self-centered. Is this going to be good for me? No.
Is it good for other people? Secondly, does this choice reflect my love for the Lord? If this is what I'm choosing, does it reflect my love for the Lord? And thirdly, am I thankful for each choice that I have during the course of a day? Because it's all maturing me.
I'll give you an example of something that didn't seem that big on a certain level to show you an everyday choice and how important it can be. Paul and Silas are in prison in Acts 16. Everybody's praying for them to get out. Then all of a sudden around midnight, the doors of the prison open. It's pitch black, the doors open up.
Now, I've not been to prison. But my guess would be if it's midnight and the doors open up, basically there's one choice you usually make. Run. Everybody run. The doors opened up.
The jailer was convinced that's the choice everybody makes because that makes sense. Not the Paul and Silas. They didn't run. They just stayed there. He was stunned. But did that choice reflect their love for someone else or other people?
Yes. Because they stayed there, by the way. He said, I can't believe you haven't left because if you left, it was going to cost me my life. I was going to die. I'll be executed for letting you. And not only did they not let him be executed, but guess what else they did? They shared Christ with him. He said, what must I do to have eternal life? He said, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he did. So here's a guy that comes to Christ. And by the way, you find out later that night, his family comes to Christ. And guess what? All because of a choice, which is normally the doors open, run for it.
He said, no, we'll stay here. I'm going to talk to him. You see, you never know what a divine opportunity is or a divine appointment in your own life.
You just don't know. And if you think what is good for other people, it might change the way you make small choices in your life. Practice on small doors. Secondly, when possible, allow time for big door decisions.
When possible, allow time for big door decisions. Turn to Luke 14. The words of Jesus Christ. Jesus takes it down to maybe one of the biggest choices you'll ever make. Jesus is talking about, do you want to be my follower?
I'm not asking you want your sins forgiven and get to go to heaven because I'll bear your sin. I have another question. He said, do you want to be my follower?
You see, do you want to be my disciple? Now, normally, it's like, well, no brainer. Yeah, yeah. This is a big decision. Don't you do that.
Don't just say, yeah, yeah. So here's what Jesus says in verse 28 of Luke 14. He says, for which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Sit down and calculate the cost.
He said, otherwise, when he has laid a foundation he's not able to finish, all who observe it will begin to ridicule him saying, this man, he said, began to build and wasn't able to finish. You want to be my follower? First thing I want you to do is to stop. Now, I want you to calculate the cost of being my follower. That takes time.
You see, I want you to calculate the cost. This isn't just a matter that you get to wear a cross around your neck or you put a bumper sticker on your car. Not if you want to be my follower. You see, if you want to be my follower, I'm the Lord of your life. You have to understand that. You see, and I'm going to take you very seriously as my follower. And the idea of it is your commitment and your choices you make every day are going to be choices that are going to be completely influenced by me.
You better calculate that before you just raise your hand and say, yeah, that's what I want to do. Then he goes on and says, notice what he says next. He completes it in a different way. Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with 10,000 men to encounter the one coming against him with 20,000?
Now, I don't know about you, but when I first read that verse, no brainer. I got 10,000. He's got 20. I don't want to fight this guy. That's not always true, though, is it? Depending on the logistics, depending on the strategy, depending on my 10,000, depending on how we can fight, there's a lot to consider here.
It's not just as simple as 10 to 20. Jesus said, yeah, I know that. So what king wouldn't sit down, relax, and then consider the cost?
Jesus says, that's what you need to do if you're going to be my follower. And that's what we need to do anytime you have a big door decision. You don't want to make a big door decision in 30 seconds.
Now, I do believe when he says the plane's on fire, here's a parachute, you will make that decision in less than 30 seconds. But most of life's not like that. Most of life, the biggest decisions you make, you don't be hasty. Think of how many people have made impulsive decisions about who they marry. Just some impulsive decision.
And boy, they spend years and years because of that decision. So practice on small doors when possible. Allow time for big door decisions. And the third one is found in Proverbs chapter 12. Proverbs chapter 12. It's found in lots of places, but Proverbs 12, verse 15. Proverbs 12, 15. The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
Boy, that's very important. The third step would be this. Ask wise people to help you.
If you're going to make a big door decision, ask wise people to help you. Notice the fool never does that. Listen, when you're around somebody who'd always in every single decision and choice is, because I said so, because I'm always right, that's the way it is. You are in the presence of a fool. Notice the fool never considers that.
And they never really grow and make good decisions. But a wise man seeks counsel. And you seek counsel from the wisest people you can put around you. I don't want to sound offensive here, because I don't necessarily know all your friends and family. But just because you have friends and family that are loving people doesn't mean at all they're wise.
Certainly with biblical wisdom. I can't tell you how many bad decisions I have heard. And the decision always is, well, I talked to my sister.
I talked to my neighbor. Ralph said it's a good idea. And that's it. You see, you have to be careful.
That's not necessarily wisdom. It sort of just came to me this morning. I was just thinking about something from my childhood. And when I was about 10, 11, 12 years old, that's when I really started pole vaulting. And when I started pole vaulting, I got a closed pole. And so I got it, and I remember painting it.
And it was a pretty heavy-duty thing. And I started by trying to pole vault over clothes lines. But, boy, the whole neighborhood didn't like that much, because every time you didn't make it, you tore the clothes line down. So what we ended up doing, a few friends and I, we ended up going to a creek in our neighborhood down in an area that was heavily wooded. And what we would do is we would take the pole, and then we would just run from one shore, put the pole in the middle, and then pole vault to the other side. Sometimes one side of the creek would be low and the other side would be high, so you had to learn how to go up on high.
So I remember doing this one time with two of my friends, both older than me, and we were doing all kinds of stuff. And the worst thing that can happen to you down at the creek, once in a while your foot would get wet, something like that. So we came to this part in the creek about as wide as the center section here, and it was real still water. And so we stood in the shore. I remember looking at it, and I said, do you think we can do this? I don't know.
I don't know if we can do this. So we looked at it some more and said, yeah, we can do this. And one of my friends who was the oldest, I was the youngest, he said, I'll go first because I'm the fastest. So he goes way back up into sort of the woods and all that, and he's got the pole, and he starts running down the hill and then over the bank, and then he just jumps out with his pole and hits it. It's about an eight-foot pole. And only about this much was above the water when it finally hit the bottom.
And so he just went out, hit the water, and then he just vanished, and then he came up, grabbed the pole, and then hit the swim to shore type of thing. Now, you know why we made that decision? No wisdom. The three of us were not wise. You see, there was no wisdom. We had consensus, but we didn't have any wisdom.
And that's the way it goes. You see, you have to seek wise counsel. Just seeking other people doesn't necessarily mean that it's wise counsel.
There's something else. Sometimes when we're trying to choose door one or door two, and we keep saying, I need help, which one is it? You may talk to a really wise person, and that person will say to you, door four.
They may. You weren't even in the right ballpark. You see, practice on small doors when possible. Allow time for big door decisions. Ask wise people to help you. And the last one is learn from your failure. Learn from your failure. That's the problem with the fool.
They never learn. Wise people fail just like other people, but they learn from their failure. You remember Paul and Barnabas went on the first missionary journey, and they took John Mark with them. And John Mark washed out. He didn't have it. He didn't make it. And so they go on the next journey, and Barnabas says, okay, we're ready to go.
This is John Mark. He's going with us this time. Paul said, absolutely not. He's not going with us.
I don't trust him. He's out. Barnabas said, no, he's not out. He's in. He's going with us.
It became such a conflict between the two of them, they went separate ways. But when you read 2 Timothy at the end of Paul's life, he writes to Timothy, and he says, he knows he's about to die, and he says, please send John Mark to me. He is so helpful to me. You know what Paul did? He admitted it. He said, I made a mistake about John Mark.
Barnabas was right. You see, that's what it takes. It's not that you can't make a bad decision.
You still can. But a wise person, they learn from their failure. And if you repeat bad choices over and over, you've got to believe you are not wise. You see, you are making the same mistake over and over. And you've seen that in people's lives.
And you just wonder, how can they do this? Because they don't learn from that process. God wants us to choose well by applying wisdom to our lives. Wisdom is available to every child of God. Wisdom can be developed by practicing on small doors, and when possible, allow time for big door decisions, ask wise people to help you, and learn from your failures. Wisdom is so important to God that he personifies her in the Old Testament.
If you have wisdom, it'll make for you a better life, better friends, better parents, better companies, better families, better citizens, and of course, better choices. But you know, wisdom is not just personified in the Bible. Wisdom is incarnated in the Bible. Last verse, Colossians 2. Colossians 2. Paul, writing to the church of Colossae, says this in verse 3.
He's talking about Jesus Christ and his great superiority. And in verse 3, he says, In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Down in verse 9, he said, For in him all the fullness of the deity dwells in bodily form. Wisdom is incarnate in Christ.
It's an amazing statement. He is wisdom. You see, if you lack wisdom, you see, if I lack wisdom, what is it I really lack? I lack Christ's perspective.
That's really so I ask. Think of wisdom and personified in Christ. Wisdom lived, lived sinlessly. Wisdom died sacrificially. Wisdom was raised from the dead. Everything that makes wisdom so beautiful and so effective and so important is found in Jesus Christ. He's even more than that. In John 10, he says this, I am the door.
Isn't that interesting? I am the door. I'm not only the wisdom to go through. I am the door. If anyone enters through me shall be saved, and he shall go in and out and find pasture. In other words, he'll only be saved, but he'll find life.
Jesus is saying to us, I'll only be the wisdom to help you through, but I am the door. You choose me. If you put your life in the hands of Jesus Christ, it will be the wisest thing you ever do. And I don't mean for heaven.
I mean for tomorrow. I don't mean for the ultimate choice, the biggest door. I mean for every choice and every door. God wants us to choose well by applying wisdom to our choices.
Let's pray. Father, if there's one thing we have in common, boy, we're all making choices. All of us are facing small choices every day. I just pray we're challenged to think about those choices.
Is this a wise choice for us? Does it consider other people before myself? Is it reflect how I love my Lord Jesus Christ? Father, the habit of good, small choices on small doors give us a tremendous background to make those big door decisions that all of us have to make. I pray for those in the body this very morning or they're facing difficult, big decisions, many of them fearful, just like Saul was. But Father, the answer is not found in any magic or superstition.
The answer is found in a wise choice for them. I pray, Father, that we understand that you have wisdom available to us and there is a method by which we can acquire it for our lives. And not only are you glorified when we find it, but it is for our good. We not only, when we find it, pass through the door from death to life as Jesus spoke of, but he leads us into those beautiful green pastures of what he calls the abundant life.
Father, there's a lot of things we desire to be, but I desire almost more than anything for people who know Jesus Christ that they live wisely. Such a benefit for themselves, such a glory to you, and what a witness to others. We pray this in Christ's name.
Amen. And you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online. At that website, you will find not only today's broadcast, but also many of our previous audio programs as well. At Fellowship in the Word, we are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help this radio ministry continue its broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly or with just a one-time gift. Support for our ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word 4600 Clearview Parkway, Metairie, Louisiana 7006. If you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format, that is as a sermon that Pastor Bill delivered during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible Church, then you should visit our website, fbcnola.org.
That's fbcnola.org. At our website, you will find hundreds of Pastor Bill's sermons. You can browse through our sermon archives to find the sermon series you are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the message you are looking for, you can listen online, or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own convenience. And remember, you can do all of this absolutely free of charge. Once again, our website is fbcnola.org. For Pastor Bill Gebhardt, I'm Jason Gebhardt, thanking you for listening to Fellowship in the Word. ... ...
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